Earth Science

The fossil record refers to the collection of physical and research evidence that paleontologists and geologists have used to prove the veracity of evolutionary theory. The physical evidence in the fossil record comes from fossilized remains of prehistoric animals.

A:Russian botanist Konstantin Mereschkowsky was the first person to discover the chloroplast. His discovery was the result of his work with lichens. In 1905, he began arguing for the symbiotic origin of the chloroplast and nucleus.

A:In order, the steps of the water cycle are evaporation, condensation, sublimation, precipitation, transpiration, runoff and infiltration. Together, all of the steps help regulate the Earth’s water supply and climate.

A:While it is currently not possible to predict a tornado with certainty, organizations like the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration issue tornado watches and warnings to areas experiencing tornado-friendly weather conditions. A watch is issued when a tornado is likely to occur, while a warning indicates a more immediate threat.

A:Ecological balance is a theory stipulating that natural conditions, including numbers of various animal and plant species, remain stable on their own through variations over time. The theory, also known as balance of nature, also holds that natural equilibrium can be changed significantly by new species entering an ecosystem, the disappearance of some species, man-made changes to the environment or natural disasters.

A:The two main types of glaciers are continental glaciers and alpine glaciers. Continental glaciers are also known as ice sheets because their form and flow are not significantly affected by underlying geographic formations. Alpine glaciers form on mountains and flow down mountain valleys.

A:Glaciers alter the landscape through erosion of the soil and rocks over which they pass. This erosion process leaves a vertical-walled valley similar to an amphitheater at the glacier's sources, according to Reference.com. As they travel through V-shaped valleys, glaciers transform the valley into a U-shape, grinding away cliffs and the bases of slopes. If the ocean fills these valleys, they become fjords.

A:The heat that radiates from the sun and heats up the land begins to heat up the air and then escapes into the atmosphere due to the lack of clouds and humidity. This is the main reason that deserts can be hot during the day but cold during the night.

A:Technologies used to explore deserts include robotic rovers, satellites, online mapping software and image-processing programs. NASA scientists use robotic rovers to explore deserts to prepare for the desert-like terrain located on Mars and the moon.

A:The sun provides the Earth with energy in the form of heat, which it uses to warm the Earth's surface, oceans and atmosphere. The heat energy found in the atmosphere is one of the major components of the Earth's climate and climate change, according to Windows to the Universe.

A:The earth's magnetic field causes a compass to point north, as compasses are powered by magnets. The magnets inside compasses are drawn to the magnetic North Pole, which is about 1,000 miles south of the actual North Pole. Therefore, even though a compass always points north, it does not always point toward the true north.

A:The Hubbard Glacier is the largest tidewater glacier in North America. A tidewater glacier is one that flows into the ocean. The glacier is approximately 7 miles wide at its foot and 76 miles long. These measurements are constantly changing as the Hubbard Glacier continues to grow and move forward.

A:According to the American Museum of Natural History, Antarctica is the windiest place on earth with winds that are regularly exceed 100 miles per hour. Commonwealth Bay in Antarctica regularly experiences winds in excess of 150 miles per hour.

A:Gold and platinum are the most ductile metals on the periodic table of elements. Metals like copper, iron, nickel, manganese, silver, iridium, osmium, tungsten, tantalum, hafnium, rhenium, tin and zirconium can be drawn into very long wires. An ounce of gold can be drawn into a wire 50 miles long.

A:Life could not exist on Earth without trees because they produce most of the oxygen that humans and wildlife breathe. Trees absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and release oxygen using the process of photosynthesis. There would also be no rain without trees, since trees absorb water from the soil and release it through evapotranspiration. Water vapor released through evapotranspiration is the major mechanism by which air is remoistened.

A:Collection refers to the process by which water gathers back into bodies of water such as rivers, lakes and oceans. This begins with precipitation, when water falls from the clouds in the form of rain, snow, sleet or hail. A lot of the time, precipitation falls directly into a body of water, but at other times, it soaks into the ground, where plants, people and animals end up drinking it as ground water. Most of the water will end up leaching back into bodies of water through the soil.

A:There are six different types of tornadoes. The most commonly recognized type is the supercell tornado, the type that causes massive destruction. A gustnado is the opposite; it is very weak. It causes leaves and other debris to swirl around on the ground during a storm.

A:Human activity affects ecosystems in a wide variety of ways, but it primarily does so through agriculture, habitat destruction, water use and fishing. Whenever humans enter a habitat, they tend to reshape it to fit their own needs, destroying the resources that other animals use, which drives them out. The overuse of water drains natural aquifers and alters the local water table, and pollution can negatively affect wildlife populations.

A:Temperatures can reach lows of -90 degrees Celsius in the mesosphere, making it the coldest layer of the earth's atmosphere. The mesosphere extends above the stratosphere and ranges from 50 km to 87 km above the surface.

A:In the field of ecology, a natural system is one that exists in nature, independent of any human involvement. The natural system consists of all the physical and biological materials and their intertwined processes